Finlayson determined to lead Waterhouse to RSPL title

Waterhouses central defender Nicholy Finlayson said he is very determined to lead the club to this year’s Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) title, having failed to do so in two previous finals.

The Drewsland-based outfit is set to face defending champions Portmore United in the final, which will be played on April 29 at the National Stadium.

Waterhouse lost 4-2 on penalties to Portmore in last year’s final, and in 2014, they were beaten 5-2 in the final by Montego Bay United, with Finlayson starting in both matches.

However, he is hoping that the third time will be the charm, and he outlined to The Gleaner just how much winning this year’s title would mean to him.

“I have never won the Premier League, before, and I have been playing for about 15 years, and so it would be nice to win it now that I am at the peak of my career,” said Finlayson.

“It would be a massive achievement also for me because I have won a lot of titles before, but I have never won the Premier League and so it would be a great achievement for me if I win it now,” he added.

“As a senior player in the team, it is a great feeling to know that we are in the final for the second straight year, and so it is very important for us now to win the title,” said the 33-year-old Finlayson.

The former Petersfield High School daCosta Cup standout pointed out that they have played against Portmore three times this season and that all the matches have ended in draws, and so they are expecting a very competitive final.

“We want this title 100 per cent because the players have been putting out maximum effort throughout the season, and now, it is down to the final game, and we just have to show our talent in this final and win this ­trophy for the community,” Finlayson said.

Along with Finlayson, Waterhouse’s defensive unit will be led by Shaw Lawes, Mark Miller, Ricardo Thomas and goalkeeper Diego Haughton.

The lanky player noted that it is very important that they play solid throughout the entire contest in order to prevent their opponents from scoring.

“Our aim is to keep a clean sheet and to be well-organised around the back because we still have eight players from last year’s final, and so we still have a rounded team that can stop Portmore from scoring against us,” he said.